Lions, Tigers and Pumpkins, Oh My!

Autumn in Michigan means leaves changing colors,
college football games, and, of course, pumpkins! What do we do with pumpkins? We paint them. We carve them. We make pies out of them. But what if you give a tiger a pumpkin…

We do just that here at the Potter Park Zoo as part of
our Animal Enrichment Program. What is
animal enrichment? It is when zoo staff
places novel items in the animals’ exhibits that stimulate mental and physical
activity and promote natural behaviors.
Why? Because our animals have
some extra time on their “hands” since they do not have to provide for
themselves as they would in the wild. It
is good for the animals, and it provides visitors with opportunities to see
some fascinating behaviors.

Tigers and other animals in the zoo have different
ideas about what to do with a pumpkin than we humans do. Some might eat them. Others might bat them around or shred
them. One of our rhinos has been known
to end up with a pumpkin on her horn.

In the coming weekends you will have a chance to find
out firsthand just what our animals do with pumpkins and other Halloween-themed
enrichments. Join us for daily
enrichments at our Boo at the Zoo Events on October 19 & 20 and 26 & 27
and our Pumpkinfest Enrichment Event on
November 3. Check out our events page
for details.